Jeff Bass Explains Estranged Eminem Relationship

Eminem's former songwriting partner and producer Jeff Bass talks about working with Eminem and why they are estranged.

Jeff Bass, a former producer and songwriting partner with Eminem, recently spoke about how their relationship has changed since their last collaboration on 2009's Relapse.

"I still love him and everything and I'm sure he still loves me," said Bass, who with his brother Mark is collectively known as The Bass Brothers, the production and songwriting duo who worked extensively with Eminem on his first few releases, during an interview with grantland.com. "But we don't communicate like we used to. He told me he had to experiment with other writers, other producers. It was very fair. All artists probably do that. We could only have our vision of what he should be. Life happened. Life just moves on. It's not like he said, 'Jump! You’re fired.' It was just, 'I'm gonna go in a different direction.' 'Cool, I wish you the best of luck.' I can guarantee that we could sit down today and write a song, and we could still put something out that the fans would love. And maybe someday that'll happen."

During the interview, Bass also spoke about what he saw in Eminem's music when they first met, prior to Em's fame.

"When Marshall came into the picture, I wasn't quite sure about his ability because I couldn't understand what he was saying," Bass said. "He was triple-timing, spitting rhymes. I was just trying to comprehend him. Then I started writing tracks for him. And it became apparent that he was amazing."

Bass also said he and his brother coached Eminem through compositions.

"In between Infinite [Eminem's independently released first album] and The Slim Shady EP, we figured out how to communicate with him," Bass said. "Because he doesn’t come from a musical background. We had to figure out a way emotionally to get through to him. So how I approached it is, any song that had a happy feel we’d call a happy tune. Angry, sad, violent — we’d use adjectives to get through to him. So that he could write the type of lyrics that’d go with the track."

Jeff Bass Details Dr. Dre's Discovery Of Eminem

During the interview, Bass also speaks about Eminem's journey to being signed.

"He was doing the Rap Olympics, and he was winning all over the place," Bass said. "And then he lost in L.A., but when we were there we had a bunch of The Slim Shady EPs. At that particular show, there was somebody in the audience watching. A young kid, 17 years old, and he saw all the passion that Marshall was putting into his show and his lyrics. And he came up to us after, 'Can I get a CD?' Little did we know, he worked in the mail room at Interscope Records. And he loved Eminem. And what he did for us, on his own, is slip the CD in Jimmy Iovine’s listening bag that he used to take home every Friday. And Jimmy actually listened to it, and said 'Whoa, whoa, whoa. What is this?' And he called Dre, and then Dre came and listened to it. It’s not like Dre found it on the floor in his garage. The true story was that he was called by Jimmy. And then it all snowballed from there."

Bass also talked about Eminem's emotions during this period.

"He was really excited, first of all, that Dr. Dre was gonna be involved," Bass said. "[Dre] was a big star in '98. He was freaked out. 'Oh my god, I can’t believe it!' Me and my brother were excited. 'Dr. Dre wants to talk to us!' And Marshall went out to L.A. with my brother first. They got there a week before me. And it started immediately. Meeting Dre, talking with Jimmy, meeting all these people, this whole crazy period. I think it was February of ‘98."

Jeff Bass Discusses Eminem's Marriage With Former Wife Kim

During the interview, Jeff Bass also spoke about Eminem's marriage with his former wife Kim and the long-standing friendship he built with the rapper.

"He’s been with me since ‘95," Bass said of Eminem. "When he was a young buck. I was with him when Hailie was just born. I knew Kim. She used to come into the studio with us all the time. We used to take Marshall out to the different clubs in Detroit. She would come with us, be her crazy self."

Bass was also asked if the couple was dysfunctional.

"It was always obvious," Bass said. "He basically lived with us in the studio on 8 Mile road. And you got to know the person. We had to deal with his mother. We had to deal with Kim. We had to deal with uncles and friends trying to be hangers-on. You really get to know a person. And it was amazing. As he would come up with the stories [on the songs], those of us who were close to him working on the project, we knew there was so much truth in what he was saying. That’s pure emotion. That’s realism. And he told it like he was speaking to every kid out there that was going through the same thing. He was their voice. It was quite incredible."

In addition to his songwriting and production credits on various Eminem albums, Bass also appeared on various Eminem skits, including "Soap," "Lounge," and throughout "Bad Meets Evil," off The Slim Shady LP.

77 Comments

tom flanagan

rock stars are not held up to scrutiny as they grow older as to whether they change their subject matter or not so why should rappers? In almost every album review if the beats have that boom bap feel the reviewer will say some ishh like, "however the beats sound dated circa the 90's...' what a load of bull, this is why rap music is losing itself. I listen to The Who and they've neen making music for 50 so years now, why don't any reviewers tell them to change their music and act their age? Flipping double standards thats why!!!

Anonymous

Anonymous

livemon

Didn't these guys file a lawsuit against Interscope? There's more to the story as to why they don't work together anymore. It's too bad because Eminem's best music came from when he worked with the Bass Brothers (SSLP, MMLP, TES). The beats he chooses now sound amateurish and his albums lack consistency. No one he's worked with since the Bass Brothers have helped his sound.

John Shux

Anonymous

That's why Recovery and MMLP2 sounded like shit. Well, it was more pop oriented than anything he's put out throughout his whole career. I honestly hated the new release and I used to love Em's work prior to relapse. The bass brothers made him who he was along with Dre. We all know Dre likes to take credit in everything he does.
What slightly bothers me is that he went to other high profile producers to make a shitty album where you're screaming in most of it. Get back with your camp, do a little drugs, and make an album that worth listening to. Rick Ruban damn near did a Yeezus on your shit. How did you let that happened?

Techneeque

Ruby Rice

up to I looked at the paycheck saying $8258, I didn't believe that my best friend had been really bringing in money in their spare time from there labtop.. there moms best frend haz done this for only 8 months and just paid for the depts on there villa and got a gorgeous BMW 5-series. useful reference www.Fb39.Com
Totally agree with Reece... He always bitches about how much he hates rap and the industry.. Yet still drops shit, then bitches about it some more. Your young motherfucker, go get a degree or some shit, goddamn.

Anonymous

Freda Carter

just before I looked at the receipt of $7368, I have faith that my sister had been realey bringing home money parttime from there new laptop.. there uncles cousin has done this 4 only 19 months and by now paid for the debts on their villa and purchased themselves a Nissan GT-R:. Related Site www.Fb39.Com
Was this a fucking joke? haha These tools couldn't rhyme their way out of a fucking paper bag... and mentioning Hailie that's just stupid...

majisu

Aim80

I'm so glad other people realize that, that "pop music" means "POPULAR music"... just like POPULAR culture, POPULAR art, etc... the word "pop" is just an abbreviation. Rap music became HIP pop... because in the late 70's early 80's "hip" was "cool" and rap music was "hipper" than the "pop" at the time...
Eminem is SO evolved now, i cant even understand how people (or his "fans") can be so disappointed in his more recent shit. It's the TIGHTEST it's ever been! The writing and structure of his bars are just fuckin phenomenal right now... and his songs are so much more deep and complex than just a typical boom-bap beat, with 16 bars, chorus, 16 bars, chorus, 16 bars, end.
I think this new album is a little ahead of its time and what people want or expect. Because when i first "Berzerk" i wasnt sure how i felt about it... initially it came off as "noisy" to me. But as you listen a few more times, you realize that the whole thing is flawless, everything's so on time and on point, it SOUNDS like mess, but it's really like orchestrated chaos.
And he even says "Dumb it down, i dont know how... at least i know that i DONT know, question is: are you bozos SMART ENOUGH TO FEEL STUPID... hope so."

COME-ON-SON

Fuck Dre An Rick Runin? those 2 guys alone did more for hip hop then u ever will.. em has evolved past the days of his underground roots an to be in this biz u gotta sell records if not u will be replaced quick. pop music mean popular music.. would u rather him underground not selling anything? if not for him being popular would u even know who Eminem was?.. think before talking or at least do the research

Anonymous

Anonymous

get back with the bass brothers, and bring out an album worthy of your respect & status
forget rhyming fast, forget techno-poppy beats
forget worthless features and have limited ones that work - rihanna? skylar grey? How about RBX and obie trice?
Where's the 'Marshall Mathers' songs? Where's the 'Say Goodbye Hollywood's' ?
Disappointing, but hey! We want his old shit, why don't we buy his old albums?

Anonymous

Anonymous

if you were makin music with the same producer for 10 years, and youre the biggest rapper of all time, I think you'd wanna experiment and see what else there is to offer. its no disrespect. Everyone does it.

Chuck Niddy

Kai

Something about this guy's version of events doesn't quite tally with what I know. Eminem also worked with a producer/rapper from Detroit called Hush (he's still active today), and one of the tracks they worked on together appeared on the Slim Shady EP credited entirely to the Bass Brothers. Shady (pardon the pun) stuff like that may have played a part in Em's move away from them. That and the fact that he was working with the likes of Dr Dre, obviously.

Anonymous

sam snead

yup, hush is founder of a non-profit called Detroit Dog Rescue and produced the song we shine off infinite. which eminem still wants him to pay to use 15 years later, they also screwed DJ butter like that, that's why eminem is not around detroit hip hop circles because he boinked some people on his way up. Bassmint productions has worked with Em for a long time though.

COCA

"Thats pure emotion. Thats realism. And he told it like he was speaking to every kid out there that was going through the same thing. He was their voice. It was quite incredible."
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT EMINEM IS MISSING TODAY.

HAzEFAM

jake

i definitely still like eminems current music but his old stuff did have something about it that felt somewhat magical and a lot of it had to do with the great production eminem got from these dudes. the music just had an entirely different vibe to it. felt less record label pushed or whatever type bullshit. this kinda gave me hope they might do something again in the future. i didn't know things were cool between them. i had heard a couple of times they cut ties because they thought eminem screwed them out of some royalties and were trying to sue him or some nonsense. sure doesn't sound like that's the case...

Anonymous

Anonymous

he has a new album out and hes doing a promo run. of course they're gonna cover it. he gets more views than news about most other rappers. more views = more money its pretty simple. in a week it will be over

TRIPLE D

A beat maker is a producer. not a song writer. He co-wrote several songs with em. including Lose yourself in which he won a grammy for writing not producing. He also produced the song with em. You em stans will say anything to prove he's your greatest. But the greatest should'nt have anyone helping him write. This will tarnish his so called legacy

Anonymous

A beat maker and producer are two different things. One can be both but not every one is both. A beat maker simply makes the beat. A producer is the one who takes the song and gives it a direction. As mentioned before the concept of the song, and how it is arranged. People must get credited for any input that was put into the song

alex

alex

there is a big big dif between what the Bass Brothers did for eminem and what the entire in house ghost writing crew (consequence, nawledge, ect ect)of def jam did for Kanye on his first 2 albums. All of the lyrics youve ever heard eminem spit on record are his own. CANNOT say the same for Kanye thats why they called his third album "Graduation" he didn't use shotst writers after college drop out. these r FACTS

Anonymous

What the fuck are you talking about? EVERY SINGLE RAPPER had extra writers Read the credits on an album dick head! This will not tarnish his reputation because anyone who really know about creating music knows that the best songs are made by a team, not one man! SMFH! You young cats don't know sh!t!!!

Add New Comment

"He was triple-timing, spitting rhymes. I was just trying to comprehend him. Then I started writing tracks for him."
EMINEM used Jeff Bass as a ghostwriter? How the fuck is he a Rap God? What a fraudulent legend.

Anonymous

He means writing the music a.k.a the beat/instrumental. Real musicians write music and then lay it down. I knew that title was going to have people were going to run with that in the wrong direction. Only in Hip Hop! smh

Anonymous

Anonymous

All you dumb asses kill me with that "his fans are stuck in the past bullish*t" Motherf*cker, we are the consumer. Without your real fans you ain't shit! Motherf*ckers need to start realizing that! Only dick riders buy his music now. His real fans have moved on because they can't bare to listen to one of their favorite artist put out all this bullshit he's been putting out lately to satisfy a bunch of weirdos that don't buy music! What's next, a track with Miley Cirus? SMH.. I guarantee if he was still making music like the 1st 3 albums he would be the only rapper still selling 5 million +. When you try to be too different from who you really are it's starts to look corny. You corny ass clowns don't see that though. Real recognize real!

casper21

@HHH that's me
I share your sentiments to a T. Couldn't have said it better myself. And the analogy to G&R is spot on. I grew up on the first 3 albums, graduated from grade school and went to high school over that period. Everybody was feeling it, everyone was bumping it, and the music was amazing because the message was fresh, the perspective was unique, and the production suited the tone and mood of the music perfectly. Fantastic albums. But he was in the groove of his life creatively at that point. And it lasted through the first D12 album and the 8 mile soundtrack.
I still support Em, I buy his albums. But he doesn't craft songs like he used to, and that's partly the people involved in helping write the songs musically, and its partly his state of mind, emotionally. And consider the fact that at this point he's such an open book that there's nothing much to say. It's too early to judge the new album, I'll wait 6-9 months of it in the rotation, but early impressions are there are only a few songs I can listen to more that 2-3 times, and musically very few tracks speak to me. Way too much technique, he's too obsessive about technical writing. The Em of a decade ago wrote better songs and was technically off a little, but no one cared about technique.

Anonymous

HHH, thats me

The relationship he had with them and the chemistry between them is a passed time.. It had its moment but us fans simply have to accept that it is gone.. No matter if they get back or not, the chemistry has so much more to do with what state of mind Em is at, so that they can salvage those emotions, than it has to do with beats.. Old Em is gone and it is what it is.. Its just like Guns n Roses they had their moment and then came back and fans found out the spark was gone forever.. Not all Em fans can understand where Im coming from but if you grew up with SSLP, MMLP and TES then you know what I mean..